Lucy Keller: Yoga, Turmeric cream + Thailand

Have you ever fallen deeply in trance to someones voice and wish you could record it at that moment and take it home to listen to for relaxation? This might sound a bit creepy, but if you heard this girls voice you would say the same thing! Lucy has such a relaxing and calming voice that when I went to visit Yogatique on Sukhumvit Soi 23 to giveaway some shirts from my new softly launched fitness line Sweat SIlhouette, I was close to recording it to meditate too. After meeting Lucy and getting to know her I was drawn to her calmness, her energy and her passion for yoga! I wanted to share her with you guys so you could get a sense as to what I experienced that day and pickup a few natural beauty tips and stress reducing practices.

Lucy Keller: Yoga, Turmeric cream + Thailand

Tell us a little about you – a current project or goal you are tackling?

I am very happy to be both a primary school teacher and a Yoga instructor as I love learning and I can’t think of two better professions that support my passion. I would like to combine both jobs more equally in my life and have no doubt that someday the two will merge more fluidly. I am really excited right now because I am having a bit of a creative overflow and I am writing a book. I tend to let projects evolve organically and like to follow that which excites my spirit. I am enjoying being present while writing and I frequently feel that the ideas are coming to me rather than I am searching for them. This is what Yoga does for you! When I am thinking too much I have to stop because I know that what is being recorded is less authentic and too constructed. I am not thinking about a finished product or even taking it at all seriously. It could be finished in 20 years, next year or never but I am not putting pressure on myself, although I know what I have already is very interesting! Rather than planning projects, my main aim is to stay very present in each moment. All the answers and guidance to the future is there so there really is no need to look for it. Searching just creates thoughts that lead us to spiral in a loop of mind stuff and we miss all the opportunities that are in this beautiful gift of now.

What got you into yoga and when did you know this was your passion?

A very dark period in my life got me into Yoga which I am thankful for. I was trying too hard to be perfect in my job and at home as a partner (as we all often do!) My job at the time was very stressful. I taught in an inner London school and many of the families I worked with had suffered trauma and either survived or displayed a lot of challenges. I threw myself into this job with pure emotion and no thought for myself. I did the same in my relationship at the time. On a deeper level, all of this was a cry for approval. We often become a martyr when all we need is a little love. We just don’t realise that we need to learn to love ourselves first before we can genuinely support others. I ended up with a very extreme form of psoriasis all over my body due to stress that was incredibly shocking to look at! I couldn’t sleep, had major headaches and felt a lot of pressure building up. It was a wakeup call. A doctor suggested Yoga as a form of stress relied. That was 9 or 10 years ago now. It all seems so long ago now but I will never forget how it made me feel when I first experienced it. I felt as if I had come home. I wanted to cry as a release because I realized I had been unkind to myself and neglected knowing me. Initially, it gave me permission to care for myself and give myself the love that I had needed. It then became an amazing journey of learning about all aspects of myself and being human. Nowadays I am much more calm, patient and joyful due to following the path Yoga. The journey of true Yoga is not for the faint hearted however, as you bring up all kinds of issues that need to be dealt with. They stand up to meet you and do not leave until you confront them with courage, honesty and positivity. For me, life is being as authentic as possible and to be truthful and understand oneself you need to spring clean the dark corners of your mind.

How do you define “wellness”? What does it mean to “be well” to you?

‘All will be well’ is one of my favourite things to say amongst others. Wellness of mind and body of course are important but I would say that faith in oneself and life itself can lead us to ultimate wellness. I let go of all to the divine universe and know that whatever happens will help me to grow and learn, even if I perceive it to be painful at the time. When we learn to accept things with grace and faith, then all is well. My mum would laugh at this because as a child, I never accepted anything with good grace ha ha. I have worked hard at this!

I keep my mind and body well by eating healthy foods and my mind by practicing Yoga and meditation. Yoga is the path to meditation.

What is your day to day life like in Thailand?

I always start my day with a positive attitude by engaging in some yoga or pranayama or meditation. I have a shower and a healthy breakfast. this sets me right for the day. I get to work at about 7:30 a.m. and am generally very busy! I work with 5 years olds which is pretty full on but incredible at the same time. Young children are very inspiring and are often more insightful than adults. I am normally at school until about 4:30 p.m. or 5 and then I will exercise and cook something healthy for dinner if I am not going out for dinner with friends. Day to day living is busy but very normal! It varies on the days I teach yoga too.

What is one natural beauty product you cannot live without?

Turmeric cream. It is amazing! I mix it with a little of my moisturizer on a daily basis to make the cream less greasy. It is antiseptic so it makes me feel clean in this congested city. I even mix a little with my make-up! When I have a cut or pimple, I whack it on. It’s great! Have you ever tried neem scrub? That’s fabulous too. I love the Himalayan products.

Tell us about your perfect day – start to finish. What would you do and who would you spend your time with?

I would wake up a bit later than normal. I get up daily at about 4:30 a.m. to 4:45 a.m. so I would welcome a little lie in. I would do my yoga that was guided by my intuition. Then I would have a wonderfully healthy breakfast on my balcony whilst feeling gratitude for my life. I might do some baking or reading then go for a walk. I love alone time because my work is so busy but I am love being social too. I would probably go and meet a friend for coffee or go to the studio. I really love to spend time at Yogatique studio where I teach yoga because it has a great community feel. In the evening, I would go out with some friends and also meet new people. I love to make new connections. If I wasn’t tired, and the flow was good then I would love to go out and shake my booty on the dancefloor. After saying all this, I would also welcome a crazily hard task like trekking and camping in Nepal which is something I am researching at the moment. Every day can be perfect if you look for the positives but I appreciate that this is challenging too sometimes.

Any fears moving to Thailand?

No fears! I actually had a dream that I packed up all my belongings and came here before doing so. a couple of weeks after the dream a friend messaged me out of the blue to say there was a teaching job going here. She lived here already and had no idea about the dream. It was a definite calling from the universe so here I am and I am here until I am guided elsewhere!

Share a quote that best describes your outlook on life.

Oooooohhhh this is hard!!!! There are so many inspirational quotes that reflect how I choose to live. I have to be clever and efficient here to encompass all that I wish to communicate. Ok…. after much deliberation and not getting anywhere I left this interview and said to myself ‘it will come when it is ready’.

10 minutes later I passed by my friend who was explaining how he needed to get so much done and he said, “As you always say Lucy……the universe provides”. I smiled. I always say this and the universe even provided my own quote back at me when I chose not to look for it.

“The universe provides”.

Thank you universe.

Ok now that you can see why I love her if you live in BKK you have to check out her yoga class at Yogatique on Sukhumvit Soi 23 (website here). If not than you will have to just stick around and wait for her meditation tape (yes I want her to make one so I can ease my stress away ASAP)